When England play football against San Marino, what generally happens? Well, they get thrashed of course. In fact, they get thrashed by just about everyone because they’re pants. Even Scotland can put a couple past them!

It’s not their fault. It’s just that their population is so small that there is very little talent to choose from. Pitting 31,000 San Marinoans – or whatever they’re called – against 53 million Englanders is only going to end in one result.

It’s why, in football, San Marino are not given equal privileges with more successful (normally more populated) nations. They are not thrown into competition draws on an equal footing with Germany and Spain because that would be monumentally stupid; would make football a laughing stock; and would result in the game being devalued as a result.

Worse than that, though, Malta isn’t handed something inconsequential which can’t harm one billion EU citizens – like pronouncing on treatment of stray ducks, for example – no, they are currently placed in charge of the continent’s health!

So I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised when the perfect storm of ridiculous EU massaging of a tiny nation’s collective ego, and the tiny pool of talent Malta is able to supply, results in the appointment of quite incredibly inept Health Commisioners.

This is the joke who the EU entrusted to draft the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which now threatens to effectively ban e-cigs and continue a ban on snus, a product which has helped Sweden boast by far the healthiest figures on smoking prevalence and lung cancer of all EU member states. All based on a distinctly dodgy public consultation exercise which ignored sane voices in favour of lucrative pharmaceutical interests.

Since the EU recognises tiny Malta as an equal partner, Dalli’s replacement was a fellow Malteser, Tonio Borg.

Borg started out by saying that there was a need to take action because new tobacco products “looked like lipstick”!

Borg went on to (wrongly) say that the EU had a ban on Snus 20 years before Sweden joined (it was 3 years) – the false statements continued as Borg (wrongly) told the meeting that there was “no evidence” that Snus reduces smoking. He was keen to stress that he did not want to “interfere with peoples choice” and proceeded to announce plans to remove the choice to use Menthol, Snus or electronic cigarettes.

It came, as Borg used the seatbelt argument (these laws are for your own good) as he started talking more windy nonsense – he showed that he was appallingly ignorant of the basic facts, and also a liar, as he proclaimed that electronic cigarettes “give people a false sense of security” and “do harm just the same”. These evidence free statements were followed (yet again) by him saying “we are not a nanny state”.

Now, you’d think, wouldn’t you, that if an organisation which claims to be thoughtful – as the EU does – wishes to be taken seriously, they would be distancing themselves from idiots like this.

But the EU is obviously not as clever as even the stodgy primaeval bureaucrats at UEFA and FIFA. They are happy to see the second best that Malta’s naturally poor talent pool can offer given free reign.

So, we have the bizarre outcome that a directive drafted in dubious circumstances by a Maltese politician who has dubious/incompetent connections; has been forced to resign; is currently being investigated for fraud; and whose methods are arguably questionable … is now being hurried along by his compatriot successor who either lies to public hearings or is astoundingly unaware of basic information.

“I think the health and lives of our citizens are our primary consideration. There are economic considerations, but they are secondary.”

During the hearing Borg was even more forthright. Pointing out that the directive had already taken 11 years, he urged immediate action, saying, “This is not regulating for the sake of it. The main aim is saving lives.”

Says the man who seeks to ban e-cigs which have helped millions of former smokers to quit tobacco, and is pushing a directive which ignores impressive health statistics in Sweden.

The upshot is that we now have a Europe of a billion people being dictated to on health by a shamed Commissioner who is regularly embroiled in corruption scandals, and succeeded by a deputy who is about as scintillating on the world stage as San Marino’s second choice goalkeeper.

Be very careful of what you wish for. The Maltese have many, many faults: non-endemic but well-rooted corruption and a general governmental incompetence being two. However, would you have government in the hands of the mildly corrupt and somewhat incompetent, or in the hands of competent, driven, idealists?

An EC run entirely by the Maltese; that’s the way forward for all of us who love liberty and humour. Besides which, the Maltese are mostly very, very pleasant people who have a medal to show what they thought of the afore-mentioned Herr Hitler.

I’ve been having second thoughts about the Evil EU. It probably isn’t so completely awful as our own tyrants. I was in Slovakia the other week, and the local Plod was remarkably helpful when I made more than my usual mess of parking a car with all its bits reversed. No “To je vase auto?” in a voice of rising menace. Instead, one of them parked it for me and the other asked how I had managed to stay alive so long with such driving skills.

Indeed, the police in every EU country I’ve ever visited have been less thuggish than our own. Even the German police who once stopped me while doing 50mph along a road that had a 50kmph limit were decidedly jolly.

That’s what they call anecdotal evidence Sean–sure , there are a few decent coppers–hell, by all accounts, Albert Pierrepoint the hangman was a decent guy when he wasn’t hanging people(not to say that most of ‘em didn’t deserve it). Bluebottles are, by and large, arrogant , daddy’s girl costumed thugs. It is true over here and even more true in the US–read any freedom oriented US blogger –I esp recommend Radley Balko and William Norman Grigg of the Pro Libertarte blog, who has some real horror stories about the USA’s “finest”.

“It’s not enough though. We were hoping for a lot more,” he added. “But far too many landlords have provided heated outdoor shelters for their smoking customers, out of a quaint and entirely misplaced humanitarian concern for these worthless addicts.”

wanted for treason blair prestcot brown straw flint reid hewitt collaborators and there enforcers the price is working stubbing out blairs legacy and labours war of mass destruction imposed on liberty respect tolerance equality identity compassion democracy integrity united kingdom who gave who the right to impose persecution bullying abuse and the deaths of innocent people under their controlled democracy are traitors have no elusions they are accountable for this so this is your better united kingdom as in war you pay the price for liberty its not what we want its what thay gave in memory of anthony mcdermott who was bullied and persecuted into suicide and hanged himself and all others so this is your new healthy united kingdom to all parties protect demands liberty and movments reinstated no liberty no peace lest they forgot no compromise this is an afront to our forfathers from protect health before wealth the sun news paper Friday ,February 3,2oo6 bullied by is work mates over the smoking ban on liberty all this for the boys to come home to the hypocrisy is beyond belief what did his family give for this in 2 world wars freedom fighter

I think the dutch and the french police are O.K. I used to go to Europe a lot
in my 20’s and 30’s, I cant say I have ever had a bad experience with french
police, they are alway’s polite and talkative, despite the fact they have guns,
our UK police force are power drunk, and state control freaks, the dutch
police are very good, I oftern went to german type music bars, police who
had finished work used to come in and party, they are nothing like the goons
in england who want to control the aspect of everyones lives, we have a
bad lot here and a very bad court system.

Of course maurice, you veiws are shared by many english people, I agree about straw, point of fact he is not english he came to this country as an asylum seeker, who ends up abusing the rights of the national population, despite the fact he came here to escape the war, BBC Quote, his father ended up in prison fro refusing to join the army and fight in the second world war, it makes me sick, to think my blood line has died on the battlefields so someone like him can hold judicial abuse over me, that man makes me sick, and the crap he writes in his letters, Tony Blair is paying the price, if he walked down the road so many people want to kill him I doubt he would make to the other end, of course on the argument of being a soldier, when you join an army, either by forced means or by voluntary means must realise the meaning of the glory of death, historically being a soldier is a very dangerous profession anyone who does not realise these basic principles should not become a soldier, they must understant the job they untake and their responsibilities if they do so, that is the very nature of being a soldier, and nothing better than history shows us these facts in mortality rates! Of course maurice, history changes, they may one day face trial and the rope, the matter is being debated by the british people, many remain unhappy, time will decide the final outcome and inquest on these individuals we wait and see.

Mr Ecks, yes they did an intersting documentary on him, I have read a lot
about the british hangman, far to many innocent people got the rope, I think
that’s why they pulled the plug, you can only cover up so much!

Bye the way Mr Eckes, no doubt like many I do have an interest in politics, have you noted the FOI information on just how many people have had convictions overturned for murder, one again last week, police alleged he was guilty, served eight years, now been released and they claim a muslim did it, it is a common occurrence, we have had murder investigations in Norfolk, they just go round pointing the finger at anyone, making the most rediculous statements to the public, one poor guy falslely accused got so much grief by the common mob mentalitiy, he hung himself, the others were left in a state of ruin, thier investigations are like medievil witch hunts, carried out by people who appear to have very limitied intelligence or ability to process facts and evidence, the situation of these wrongfull convictions is an embarrassment, rope no way, there are just far to many misscarridges of justice, these basket case arrogant judges don’t give a toss about ordinary peoples rights, you can still hear the word commoner used in some of these courts as a discription to certain alleged offenders, it’s not fit for the purpose, we should let the cameras in, the public would get a big shock at what goes on. The situation gets no better goes from bad to worse.The public get no compensation or address for the wrongs they have suffered in the hands of this lot, it’s disgusting!